A boundary-integral equation method for free surface viscous flows

A boundary integral equation method is proposed for the solution of viscous recirculating flows with free surfaces. In particular the method is applied to thermocapillary convection and to drop formation, both in micro-gravity conditions, the latter to test its capability to handle real unsteady problems. The presence of non linear terms in Navier-Stokes equations leads to a volume integral, which has to be approximated by a linearization procedure. Several numerical results for thermocapillary flows, both with fixed and moving free surface, are discussed in comparison with previously obtained finite difference solutions. Some preliminary results, and in particular the time evolution of the free surface shape, are also presented for the drop formation problem. Only plane two dimensional fields are considered for both problems. © 1984 Pitagora Editrice Bologna.